This Teen Took His Mom To Prom Because She Didn't Get To Go To Her Own

Trey Potter, an 18-year-old who lives in Ohio, gave his mother the memory of a lifetime when he took her as a date to his prom—it was an experience she never got to have when she was a teenager herself. Potter's mom, Melissa "MelRo" Roshan, faced many obstacles growing up. She was conceived as the result of her mother's rape as a teen. Growing up, she endured abuse and lived in 23 different foster care and group homes. She became pregnant with her son at 16. By the time her prom rolled around, she was living in a homeless shelter for teen parents while earning her GED and working, so she missed out on the big night.

“Seeing all my friends around me go to prom...was incredibly difficult," she told Us Weekly. "Part of me really wanted to go, but I knew I had a baby that needed me. And that became my reason for finding peace in missing out.”

These days, Roshan, now 36, is a model and celebrated advocate for foster children. She's even given a TEDx talk about her work. “My purpose all along has been to be a fierce advocate and a champion for foster youth and be a voice for them,” she told the Huffington Post. “So I have dedicated my life to advocacy work.”

Back when Potter was just 12, he already knew that his mom had missed out on her own dance, so he told her he planned to take her to his prom as his date when the time came. She thought it was a sweet notion, but didn't believe he'd actually follow through—but from the sounds of it, Potter couldn't have been happier to show up at the dance with her on his arm. “My mom is one of the most inspirational people I know,” he told Us Weekly. “After all she’s sacrificed and been through, I felt taking her was the least I could do.” (We're not crying, YOU'RE crying.)

Roshan had a great time. “I felt like an old grandma initially! But I enjoyed my time once I let myself just be a kid again,” she told Us Weekly. “I decided to leave after an hour so that I would not hog up too much of the night. Then I went home and slept in happy peace. It was one of the greatest moments of my life.” She even shared a few photos of their night in a touching Instagram post.

This fall, Potter will become the first person in his mother's family to attend college. He plans to study chemical engineering. Roshan couldn't be prouder. “There is always light at the end of the tunnel and sometimes the tunnel may be longer for others but there’s always a light to keep you traveling and that was my light: being able to go to prom, being able to see him grow into this thriving individual and then even being able to triumph and overcome everything and be an advocate,” she told the Huffington Post. “That’s my light at the end of a very dark tunnel.” What an inspiration!